Great Glen Way: Day 3 - Fort Augustus to Fort William

Dogs Off-leash

E-Bikes Unknown

Features Commonly Bikepacked

• Great Glen Way

It is hilly! A mountain bike is ideal, but a hybrid or rugged road bike would be ok with high volume grippy tires and low gears. The High Route paths are steep, narrow and loose-surfaced, but well worth the effort.

Weather here can change quickly, so carry good waterproofs and warm clothes (it rains here regularly, and can be windy). In warm, calm weather there are likely to be problems with midges; they are less of a problem in early Spring and late Autumn.

We enjoyed a terrific Big Scottish Breakfast at Morrisons supermarket in Fort Wiliams, at the end of the trip.

For our trip, we left our car in Inverness and used the 'bike-taxi' from an Inverness-based company Ticket to Ride to carry us and our bikes from Fort William back to Inverness after the ride. Very effective, and well priced. They also offer baggage transfer, if you're prepared to pay to ride lighter.

Fort Augustus to Fort William: Riding a gravel towpath beside the canal for a few miles, racing the ferry and cruise boats, watching activity at the locks and swing bridges.

Mile 4.8: Cullochy Lock.

Mile 5.2: Viewpoint for Bridge of Oich, an old suspension bridge. There's a choice here between riding on the north side of Loch Oich towards Invergarry (Great Glen Way: Day 3 - Invergarry Link), or south of the loch towards Laggan Locks. Similar distance and trail types for both routes, via Invergarry there is approximately +300 feet of climbing; we chose to ride south of the loch. Undulating gravel path through woods along the path of General Wade's Military Road, with occasional glimpses of the water.

Mile 9.5: Ride through the rail-yards of the old Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway, which is being renovated by volunteers as a museum.

Mile 11.2: Laggan Locks, cross the river to north side of Loch Lochy. The alternate route via Invergarry joins this route at Mile 11.6. Follow unpaved tracks beside the loch, with a sequence of climbs and descents.

Mile 14: Beach, camping area, and toilet at Glas-dhoire Trailblazer Rest.

Mile 18.6: Picnic area in the woods, and beach. Head onto a quiet paved road for three miles towards Gairlochy, where you cross onto the south side of the Caledonian Canal.

Mile 22: The trail is now a gravel towpath beside the Caledonian Canal. Out of the woods, there is less shelter for the remainder of the route and prevailing headwinds can be tough.

Mile 25: Glen Loy Aqueduct (River Loy passes under the Caledonian Canal, you need to scramble down the bank to see the aqueduct).

Mile 27: Sheangain Aqueduct.

Mile 29: Neptune's Staircase, a long flight of locks. Take care of traffic crossing the busy A830 road. Visit Old Inverlochy Castle to the left at Mile 30.5, after crossing the cycle/pedestrian bridge over River Lochy. Visit Old Fort ruins in Fort Williams, across the dual carriageway from large Morrisons supermarket and train station. Enjoy a Big Scottish Breakfast (sold all day!) at Morrisons supermarket.